ABU DHABI, 11th January, 2018 (WAM) -- Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC), today launched, at the FNC headquarters, the "he 2018 IRENA Legislators Forum," with the aim of strengthening international sustainable development goals, especially its seventh goal related to the legal and institutional framework for promoting the role of the private sector.

The event was organised by the FNC, in co-operation with the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, with the participation of legislators and parliamentarians from various countries.

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Mariam Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State, who is responsible for food security; Adnan Amin, Director-General of IRENA; Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, as well as several FNC members, members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and representatives of concerned international organisations participated in the forum.

The Forum focussed on the legal and institutional frameworks for involving the private sector in realising the goals of the sustainable development of future energy, as well as on the parliamentary action taken to accelerate the transformation of the energy sector, and facilitating private sector investments in renewable energy projects.

Dr. Al Qubaisi stressed that the Forum is the start of the FNC’s activities for the Year of Zayed, which will be followed by Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit.

She stressed that organising the Forum reflects the FNC’s desire to realise the Abu Dhabi Declaration that was issued at the end of the Global Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, which was organised by the FNC in co-operation with the IPU in December 2016, and was themed, "United for Shaping the Future for a Better World." Its clauses include a commitment to realise the United Nations, UN, Sustainable Development Goals 2030, the Paris Agreement, the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, she added.

Al Qubaisi noted that the country’s transformation, which was planned and accomplished by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, seemed impossible to everyone, especially in a part of the world where rain is scarce.

"Despite the difficulties faced, the project stabilised the soil and protected it from erosion and managed water resources. Those responsible for the project succeeded in overcoming these challenges through determination and innovation, and whichever area of the UAE you visit, you will witness the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed, and his deep and long-term vision," she further added.

Al Qubaisi explained that the UAE has become, due to the ongoing support of the wise leadership, more committed to promoting renewable energy, as the country desires to make sustainability a key component of its long-term national strategies, which include the UAE Vision 2021, the UAE Centennial 2071, and the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 that was approved this week, with the aim of reducing the demand for water while improving water productivity and reducing water scarcity. The national energy strategy aims to increase the country’s reliance on renewable energy to 44 percent of the country’s energy needs by 2050, she said in conclusion.